Time Capsules – Time Travel Through Objects!

Recently, a time capsule was removed for safekeeping at the Te Matapihi Central Library site! The capsule was buried in 1994 – 29 years ago – and contains letters from local school students, newspapers, coins, photos of the children and other souvenirs from 1994.

But what exactly are time capsules? And why do we have them?


Wellington City Libraries time capsule being lifted out of a hole in the ground by two construction workers

LT McGuinness workers remove the time at the Central Library Te Matapihi construction site. Image: WCC supplied (September 2023)


What are time capsules?

According to the dictionary on one of our eLibrary databases, Britannica Library – Kids, time capsules are “a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is placed (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age.” So essentially, time capsules are like hidden treasure, stored by people of the past to communicate with the people of the future, and to tell them what life was like back then.

Time capsules are usually intended to be found and opened at a specific date and place – like an important anniversary of a school, or the anniversary of the council in the case of the capsule above – but it is possible that they can be forgotten about after all those years! You may have heard about the missing time capsule buried at Muritai school in Eastbourne (which is yet to be seen).

The Westinghouse Time Capsule of 1939

There have been many significant time capsules in recent history. Perhaps one of the earliest examples is the Westinghouse time capsule, which was made by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company and buried on August 22, 1939. The time capsule was a dedication to the current technology and society of 1930s America, containing roughly 100 objects and 22,000 pages of text and images associated with American companies of the 1930s. For example, safety razors were included from Gilette Safety Razor Co., a makeup kit from Elizabeth Arden and even Birds Eye frozen foods was represented – you may have seen their fish fingers at the supermarket recently!



Because the 1939 Westinghouse capsule was intended to be opened in 5000 years later, (that’s the year 6939!) the capsule had to be extra secure to withstand its long storage underground (which also meant that they couldn’t put fish fingers in the capsule ☹). To ensure this, engineers constructed a bullet shaped capsule made of copper, chromium and silver and the contents were sealed in an airtight glass shell.

The capsule was buried deep beneath New York’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and to make sure people were able to find it in the future, the Book of Record for the Time Capsule of Cupaloy was distributed to libraries, museums and monasteries around the world. An important issue that the company also had to consider was how were the people of 6939 going to understand what the time capsule was all about? Archaeologists at the time knew that the people of the future probably wouldn’t be able to speak English, so they included diagrams to help them read and interpret the book.

Overall, the Westinghouse efforts and time capsules more generally show the desire for people to connect with each other across time and space. Time capsules serve as important artefacts from the past, mapping out how we have changed as people and as a society.

And while you may not be able to travel ahead 5000 years to meet the people of the future, the library has plenty of books to help you discover peoples of the past, as well as time capsules in general!

Time Capsule Stories

Cartboy and the time capsule / Campbell, L. A.
“Sixth-grader Hal gets a year-long journal-keeping assignment in his least favorite class, history, much to the delight of his history buff father.” (Catalogue)

Beat the clock / Parish, Herman
“In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Amelia Bedelia’s school, the whole town throws a party and a secret time capsule that was buried an entire century before will finally be dug up and opened.” (Catalogue)

The time capsule and other stories / Shipton, Paul
“This Biff, Chip and Kipper collection contains four funny stories, plus activities focusing on reading skills. This Read with Oxford Stage 4 collection is ideal for children who are gaining more reading confidence. Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child’s reading confidence.” (Catalogue)

Zelda and Ivy, the runaways / Laura McGee Kvasnosky / Kvasnosky, Laura McGee
“In three short stories, two fox sisters run away from home, bury a time capsule, and take advantage of some creative juice.” (Catalogue)

Digging up the past

What was it like, Mr. Emperor? : life in China’s forbidden city / Zhao, Guangchao
“Have you ever wondered what it was like to be the Emperor of China? In this book, readers will get the chance to ask the emperor all the questions they might have about life in the Forbidden City. How was the emperor chosen? What was school like? How did he celebrate his birthday? Who were his friends? What were his favorite foods? How hard did he have to work? Could he be punished? Through fun and engaging stories reader will journey through the average life of an emperor and learn about the people who lived in the palace.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Digging up the past : archaeology for the young and curious / Veart, David
“Introduces young and curious readers to the story of New Zealand, from Pacific voyagers to contemporary crime scenes, that archaeologists have discovered. Along the way, readers will learn about what archaeologists actually do, from digging up shell middens to testing ancient DNA. And readers will uncover amazing facts about our past: How Māori used kuri, the native dog, as a four-legged fridge, how warplanes were hidden deep within Devonport’s North Head (or were they?), how DNA has revealed the number of people who first settled Aotearoa, and much much more.” (Catalogue)

Meet the Vikings / Woolf, Alex
“What was life really like for the Vikings? How did they interact socially? What medicines did they use? What did they think about the world they lived in, religion and other peoples? Using recreation photography and images of real historical artefacts this book will help readers ‘meet’ all kinds of Vikings, from the thrall (or slave) to the various craftspeople, farmers and even some viking children playing games.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The 20th century / Deary, Terry
“Discover the foul facts that make the history of the twentieth century so horrible – all the gore and more!” (Catalogue)

Te ao o te Māori = The world of the Māori / Naumann, Ruth
“Resource containing information and activities on Māori migration to and settlement in New Zealand. Focuses on particular aspects of Māori life and culture. Can be linked to the New Zealand Social Sciences curriculum. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.” (Catalogue)

Ancient Africa : archaeology unlocks the secrets of Africa’s past / Sherrow, Victoria
“Archaeology reveals the rich histories of complex cultures in the cradle of humankind. Study the Dogon people of Mali. Explore the ancient city of Jenne-jeno. Learn how computer technology has recreated the Kushite temples at Jebel Barkal and how artifacts bring new insights, helping scientists to piece together the puzzle of ancient Africa.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

New Year; New Books! Are you making the most of your Library these holidays?

These awesome new kids books have just hit the shelves at your local library!

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsHow to Raise your Grown-ups by Lauren Child

The Bobton-Trent seniors certainly know how to make the most of their extravagant wealth – socialising, doing things, buying things and generally being more than a little bit … irresponsible… Luckily for them, their son Hubert Horatio is an exceptionally intelligent, talented and sensible child. Unluckily for Hubert, this tends to mean that a lot of his spare time is spent steering his rather unruly set of grown-ups out of trouble.


Image courtesy of SyndeticsYou don’t know everything Jilly P! by Alex Gino

When her new baby sister is born deaf, Jilly makes an online connection with a fellow fantasy fan, who happens to be black and deaf, and begins to learn about the many obstacles that exist in the world for people who are different from her


Image courtesy of SyndeticsNo fixed address by Susin Nielsen

Twelve-year-old Felix’s appearance on a television game show reveals that he and his mother have been homeless for a while, but also restores some of his faith in other people.


Image courtesy of SyndeticsDown with the Crims by Kate Davies

The Addams Family meets Despicable Me in the first book of this new trilogy, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Pseudonymous Bosch!


Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe once and future geek Camelot Code; bk 1 by Mari Mancusi

When thirteen-year-old Arthur of Gal, the future King Arthur, accidentally time-travels to the twenty-first century, Sophie Sawyer, twelve, must convince him to return and correct the time line.

More new kids fiction has arrived, be sure take a look at this awesome selection!

How exciting, kids! Here are some new kids fiction books that you can grab from your local library. Whether you like Coding, music, horses or a bit of a mystery, there’s bound to be something here that’s for you.

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsA Star in the Stables by Michelle Bates (Sandy Lane Stables series)

Jess is thrilled to discover that a film is being shot just down the road from Sandy Lane. She can’t wait to meet the lead actor, Bella Ford, who’s coming to the stables to learn to ride side-saddle for the film. But when Bella arrives and sets her sights on Jess’s pony, Skylark, suddenly Jess has to face a very difficult decision.

 

 

Spotlight on Coding Club! -Girls who Code; bk 4 by Michelle SchustermanImage courtesy of Syndetics

The girls in the coding club are preparing their voting app for the school talent show, but when they discover Erin is secretly suffering from anxiety they band together to find her help.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsLucky Button by Michael Morpurgo

A lonely boy struggles to cope with school bullies and caring for his mother, until a mysterious encounter reveals life in the Foundling Hospital in the eighteenth century and unravels a touching tale about the power of music. Beautifully illustrated by Kate Greenaway Medal-winning illustrator Michael Foreman.

 

 

 

The Inventors at No. 8 by A.M MorganImage courtesy of Syndetics

Twelve-year-olds George, the very unlucky third Lord of Devonshire, and his neighbor, scientist Ada Byron, join forces against a nefarious group of criminals who steal the map to a priceless family heirloom.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Mona Lisa Key– bk 1;Time Castaways by Liesl Shurtliff

Mateo, Ruby, and Corey Hudson’s parents don’t have too many rules. It’s the usual stuff: Be good. Do your homework. And never ride the subway without an adult, EVER. But when the siblings wake up late for school, they have no choice but to break a rule. The Hudson siblings board the subway in Manhattan and end up on a frigate ship in Paris…in the year 1911. As time does tell, the Hudson family has a lot of secrets. The past, present, and future are intertwined—and a time-traveling ship called the Vermillion is at the center. Racing to untangle the truth, the kids find themselves in the middle of one of the greatest art heists of all time. And the adventure is just getting started.

 

Top 10 Children’s eBooks February 2017

Adventures, supernatural foes and heroes of all shapes and sizes fill the pages of the eBooks available through the library’s Overdrive service.  Harry Potter dominates eBooks!  Other titles creeping up the ranks are also books that are movies. The recent Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has a great cast featuring Chris O’Dowd, as a moody Dad and Peculiars, Eva Green and Judi Dench get some amazing special effects treatments in their bird transformations.  So book or movie? How do you rate the film versions of these books?  Let us know in the comments?

 

  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Official Script Book, by J. K.  Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
  2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
  3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone J. K. Rowling,
  4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling
  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J. K. Rowling,
  6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling
  7. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
  8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling
  9. The Hobbit, by  J. R. R. Tolkien
  10. Mockingjay: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Come on a time travelling adventure!

If you could travel back in time to any point in history, where would you go?

Right back to the Stone age being chased by a saber tooth tiger. Maybe in Ancient Egypt helping build the great pyramids or how about being a Viking sailing on one of their great ships.

What about going the other way – into the future. What do you think our world will be like? Maybe we could be living on Mars!

How do you feel about time travel? Do you think that one day we might be able to travel to any point in time or do you think that’s just weird.

Either way it is fun to read books on time travel and we have heaps of choice for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 fun new children’s fiction books to kick off your springtime reading

 

Spring has sprung! The weather can be a bit mucky – sunny one day, raining the next. So it’s a good idea to have some awesomes reads on hand in case you need some emergency entertainment while waiting for the sun to shine. Try these new fiction books:

 

The Whispers of Wilderwood Hall by Karen McCombie

Ellis is losing track of time … Following her mother’s marriage to a famous rock star, Ellis moves to a crumbling old mansion in the wilds of Scotland. Far away from her friends and familiarity, she finds waves of anxiety rolling in and threatening to capsize her. But when she finds herself whisked back to the world of 1912 where she meets lonely servant girl Flora, Ellis finally feels like she’s home. But living in the past might not be as perfect as it seems … and is there more to hope for in the present than she first thought?

 

 

Image courtesy of Syndetics

The Castle of Inside Out by David Henry Wilson

Lorina, a young schoolgirl, is led by a black rabbit through a wood to a magical land. There she finds a race of green people, who are all overworked, starving and suffering from the toxic fumes billowing out of a nearby castle. She decides to gain access to the castle for the poor green people, and within its walls she meets the “insiders”, selfish creatures who hoard all the resources and treat the outsiders as slaves. Her quest leads her to encounter the bureaurat, the superviper, the farmadillo and, eventually, the awful Piggident himself.Will she be able to save the green people from the cruelty of these “insiders”?

 

 

Image courtesy of Syndetics

How to Beat Genghis Khan in an Arm Wrestle by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers

Join three friends as they use their imagination, settle playground scores and alter the entire course of history in the process! Big bully Zachary Black has stolen the awesome comic that Sid has spent hours drawing. Zachary sets Sid a challenge – beat him in an arm wrestle and the comic is his once again. Sid’s evil-genius neighbour, the Mighty Professor Skeletron, calculates Sid’s chance of victory as one in ten, so they create a Time Rescrambler in order for Sid to take the challenge ten times… and eventually win! But catastrophe strikes when the rewind button jams and the boys, along with Sid’s little sister, Wendy, are transported back to the time of the Mongol Empire. To make matters worse, the device falls into the hands of a fearsome warrior. Will they save the world, or will life as we know it no longer exist?

 

 

Alanna the First Adventure; Song of the Lioness #1Image courtesy of Syndetics by Tamora Pierce

Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, a learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of Syndetics

The Spy Who Loved School Dinners by Pamela Butchart

Izzy is really pleased to have been put in charge of the new girl at school. Matilde is French, and Izzy and her friends can’t wait to show her their den and its moth, and to help her avoid school dinners (also known as poison). But Matilde LOVES school dinners and even has seconds! And that’s when they know. Matilde is a spy and she has come to find out their secrets. They must stop her before it’s TOO LATE!!!

 

 

 

Children’s DVD Reviews: Meet the Robinsons and Maleficent

The school holidays are almost done. And while we have some pretty nice days so far, doesn’t mean good old Jack Frost isn’t going to pay Wellington a visit. So if are looking for some more DVDs to watch over the blistery cold periods, why not have a read of my latest reviews of Walt Disney’s  movies: Meet the Robinsons and Maleficent, (which aired on TV 2 last weekend),and see if they appeal to you. But you better get your hands on these DVDs quick … before someone else does! I promise you these movies deliver on what Disney does best: Excitement, adventure, action and… a happy ending! 

 

image courtesy of amazon.comMeet The Robinsons

If you have seen and liked The Incredibles, then this is another Disney movie you must see.

Described as the ‘Back to the Future’ for kids, Meet the Robinsons takes you on a journey that the whole family can enjoy. Lewis is an orphan and brilliant inventor who meets mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson, whisking Lewis away in a time machine and together they team up to track down Bowler Hat Guy, who wants to destroy Lewis in a showdown that ends with an unexpected twist of fate that has a huge impact on Lewis’, Wilbur’s and even the Bowler Hat Guy’s future.

I found the film very funny and exciting. The Robinsons are an eccentric family headed by the mysterious patriarch and tech mogul genius, Cornelius Robinson, who Wilbur jokes looks like Tom Selleck. Everyone is strange and unique in their own way, from Frannie – Wilbur’s ‘no-nonsense’ Mum, who conducts frog band, Grandpa who wears his clothes backward, twins Dimitri and Spike who stay in flower pots and Carl a talking robot like C-3PO.  But what touched me most about this film the “keep moving forward” motto throughout the film.

I rate this movie: 7/10

 

Extra: The movie also features a fantastic quote from Walt Disney himself: “Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  Walt Disney, Film Producer, Director, Animator, Entrepreneur

 

Maleficentimage courtesy of amazon.com

This is Sleeping Beauty as you have never seen it before.

The story of Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” is different from its predecessor. But more importantly this story focuses on the evil fairy/villain in the original story, Maleficent. In this version, Maleficent, (Angelina Jolie), who was originally a good fairy and protector of the fairy lands called the Moors, becomes a vengeful, bad fairy, (or ‘turns to the dark side’ in tradition Darth Vader style), after she is betrayed by King Stefan.

To pay him back, she curses his daughter, the infant princess Aurora to a ‘sleep like death’ which she can only awaken from by ‘true love’s kiss’. However things become complicated when Maleficent realizes  that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well. To add more complication to the mix, Maleficent, acting as a surrogate mother, becomes fond of Aurora!

Throughout the film, Maleficent experiences conflict, similar to iconic Star Wars villain, Darth Vader, whether being trapped in the dark side is permanent or whether there is still good in her… and she will save the day.

Overall  I found the film very entertaining and without question, does it’s predecessor justice.  Lots of things you can expect from a Disney movie: Excitement, adventure, action and… a happy ending!

I rate this movie: 7/10

 

Extra: While you’re at it, why not grab Sleeping Beauty to watch alongside this movie:image courtesy of amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

4 new children’s non fiction that will blow your mind!

Diary of a Time Traveller.

Join Augustus on his global adventure back in time and meet hundreds of history’s most interesting characters, including Einstein, Columbus and the young Mozart. Packed with interesting facts, awesome illustrations and even a timeline of events, this diary makes a million years of history accessible at a glance.

 

 

David Walliams.

Author, actor, comedian, charity fundraiser, TV talent show judge – David Walliams ticks all the boxes! Now you can read his biography, and discover some of his greatest achievements, how he began his comic career, where he finds his inspiration for his hilarious children’s books and the enormous amount of work he does for charity.

 

 

The Best (& Worst) jobs in Ancient Rome.

Here is your chance to explore the job market in Ancient Rome. Discover which jobs brought wealth and glory and which were dirty, smelly and dangerous.

 

 

 

Ripley’s Believe it or not! : eye-popping oddities.

Brace yourself for some eye-popping oddities. There is an all new Ripley’s believe it or not and it is jam packed with even more odd and bizarre things you never thought was possible such as a man pulling a track with his nose, a woman marrying a Ferris wheel, cow farts blowing up building and many more crazy stories! Proceed with caution when you read, it’s earth shattering!

 

Check out this new Fiction!

Pinkbeard’s Revenge;The Adventures of Joe Schmo #4   By Greg Trine

Fourth-grade superhero Jo Schmo and her sidekick Raymond face Dr. Dastardly and Numbskull, who break out of jail and join forces with Pinkbeard’s band of time-traveling pirates in an evil revenge plot.

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsUndead Pets: Gasp of the Ghoulish Guinea Pig by Sam Hay

Joe is just an ordinary boy until he makes a wish on a spooky Egyptian amulet… Now he’s the Protector of Undead Pets and there’s a ghoulish guinea pig scrabbling about!

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsMy New Zealand Story: Canterbury Quake by Desna Wallace

“Maddy is a typical 11-year-old girl living in Christchurch – her diary starts in early August with her desperation for a mobile phone, and talking about her best friend Laura, Glee and singing in the school choir, homework, teachers, her siblings … And then the first earthquake hits on 4 September and her world changes”–Publisher information.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Spotted Dog Last Seen by Jessica Scott Kerrin

When a new book arrives at the library with a secret code written inside, Derek, with the help of his friends, follows the clues from one novel to the next and makes a discovery that may help him get past a terrible loss.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Impossible Boy by Mark Griffiths

‘The X-Files meets Dr Who in this hilarious series from Mark Griffiths.
Somewhere in the small, dull town of Blue Hills, the impossible is happening. Inanimate objects are coming to life. Time travellers from the future are mingling unnoticed with the shoppers in the high street. School children are developing uncanny powers. Strange creatures are lurking within the grounds of a forgotten stately home. And with each of these mysteries comes a terrible threat that just might endanger the entire world…’ –www.Goodreads.com

Daylight Saving

It’s nearly time to turn the clocks back as daylight saving comes to an end this weekend.

I am always a little sad when daylight saving finishes as it means that winter is on the way and the long hot (or warm) summer is over.

You might like to check out some history on daylight saving in New Zealand. I discovered that in 1909 a Parliamentarian Hon Sir Thomas Sidey argued for putting clocks forward by one hour during summer so that there would be an additional hour of daylight in the evenings. In that year he introduced a Member’s Bill to put this idea into effect. The Bill was rejected, but Sidey was persistent, reintroducing it every year for the next 20 years.

That is very persistent, and you can read all about it here.

So enjoy the last days of summer and remember the one good thing is that we do get another hour to sleep in!